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<b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br><br>
CONTACT:<br><br>
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<b>Stacy Brannan-Smith<br>
</b>Communications Specialist<br>
Disability Rights Ohio<br>
800-282-9181, ext. 101<br>
<a href="mailto:sbrannan-smith@disabilityrightsohio.org">
sbrannan-smith@disabilityrightsohio.org</a><td width=319><br>
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<b>Chris Danielsen</b><br>
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Director of Public Relations<br>
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National Federation of the Blind<br>
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(410) 659-9314, extension 2330<br>
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<a href="mailto:cdanielsen@nfb.org">cdanielsen@nfb.org</a></td></tr>
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<div align="center"><b>Disability Rights Ohio lawsuit claims Ohio
Secretary of State’s voting services violate the ADA<br><br>
</b></div>
December 8, 2015<br><br>
<b>COLUMBUS, OH</b> – Disability Rights Ohio and the law firm of Brown,
Goldstein, & Levy, LLP, have
<a href="http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/u62/Hindel_v_Husted_complaint_12-7-15.pdf">
filed a federal lawsuit</a> against the office of Ohio Secretary of State
Jon Husted. The suit, filed on behalf of three blind Ohio voters and the
National Federation of the Blind, alleges that some voting services in
Ohio are not accessible. This is in violation of Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.<br><br>
Registered Ohio voters Shelbi Hindel, Barbara Pierce, and Marianne
Denning are blind and unable to access important voting information and
forms on the Secretary of State’s website because of the site’s
inaccessible design and inability to work with screen access software.
Additionally, because Ohio’s absentee ballots are only available on
paper, blind voters are unable to fill them out without assistance—an
infringement on their right to cast a ballot privately and independently.
The suit asks the court to order Secretary of State Husted’s office to
make the changes needed to rectify these problems before the March 15,
2016, primary election in Ohio.<br><br>
“Voting is important to me, and I want to be able to read through the
materials and be prepared for the upcoming Republican primary,” explains
Hindel. “Current technology makes reading text easy for the blind,
provided the text is available in the right format. My polling location
recently moved to a site further from my house, so voting absentee is a
more convenient way for me to exercise my right to vote.” <br><br>
According to Kristen Henry, attorney at Disability Rights Ohio,
“Secretary of State Husted has the responsibility to ensure that all
eligible Ohioans have equal access to the state’s voting systems and
resources. The solutions for the problems we’re raising are readily
available. Unfortunately, our attempts to collaborate with the state on
this issue have not been successful.”<br><br>
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: “The technology to allow blind voters to mark absentee ballots
privately and independently is available and has been used successfully
by blind voters, myself included. This technology protects ballot secrecy
and puts blind voters on an equal footing with all other voters, as well
as helping voters who have disabilities in addition to blindness that
prevent them from getting to a polling place or using the voter
technology available there. The National Federation of the Blind will
continue to fight for the right of blind people in Ohio and throughout
the nation to vote privately and independently.”<br><br>
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<br><br>
About Disability Rights Ohio: <br><br>
</b><i>Disability Rights Ohio is the federally and state designated
Protection and Advocacy System and Client Assistance Program for the
state of Ohio. The mission of Disability Rights Ohio is to advocate for
the human, civil and legal rights of people with disabilities in Ohio.
Disability Rights Ohio provides legal advocacy and rights protection to a
wide range of people with disabilities.<br><br>
</i><b>About the National Federation of the Blind: <br><br>
</b>The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.<br><br>
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